Playing at Art

I mentioned a few days ago that my mom colored photographs 'back in the old days'. She did a good job. I guess that is where I got the idea that I'd like to paint. So when my baby was about 1 year old, I decided to take an art class for adults in the evening at our local high school. I fell for it quickly and began earnest lessons in oils. As in most things, I poured myself into it. I have many paintings hanging around my house and stacked in my basement to prove my persistence. I absolutely loved the creative outlet. A few years later, I discovered colored pencils and again threw myself into it and for two years straight had pictures in the International Colored Pencil shows. The first was in Cleveland, OH and the next year in Seattle. I made the trip out to Washington with artist friends to attend the big show. Those two pictures are published in books that I proudly bring out, if anyone asks.

Several years ago, my husband bought me Photoshop PSE 4 while I was on a trip to Florida with my girlfriends. When I got home and he surprised me with it, I was scared half to death. I didn't know anything about a computer except emailing and making an occasional label for my scissors and paper scrapbooking. I needed to make a scrapbook for the trip, but oh my, how? I did what any nut with an addiction would do. I focused on it 12 hours a day and dreamed it at night. Since I wasn't familiar with computers, I bought every book and found every magazine article that gave any direction whatsoever. I learned over a few months.

I still find myself learning something new now and again.

If I had known then what I do now, it would not have taken so painfully long. One can get video tutorials online which are very easy to understand. One place to do that is at www.Scrapgirls.com.

This layout is of me sometime before my first birthday. It was a sepia tone photo. If it hadn't been, I could have made it one in PSE. I used the lasso tool and hue saturation adjustments to color my dress. I also tinted my cheeks and lips.

I am addicted to digital scrapbooking. And since I am retired with no children running around, I spend huge amounts of time at the computer...playing at art.